Talcahuano Chile

Port hours & holidays

Restrictions & Sanctions

The Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) season has struck again. It starts from late May to September which is considered the high risk AGM period. So a vessel which has called at a port in the regulated AGM area during the specified risk period of the current or previous year will be considered a vessel of high AGM risk. These vessels are required to comply with the relevant AGM regulations ( for example, a so-called AGM approved certificate) issued by the regulating countries, namely, Australia, Canada, Chile, USA and New Zealand.

Members are advised to refer to our AGM section for information and guidance.

There has been an increasing widespread of the BMSBs throughout Europe and North America. In response to that and to keep these bugs out of their countries, New Zealand and Australia have come together to tighten up their measures to ensure that seasonal measures in place are consistent whenever possible to make compliance easier for vessels carrying cargoes to these countries.

For the 2019/20 BMSB risk season, this will include the following:

Introduction of a joint ‘Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme’. A list of approved treatment providers is jointly maintained by New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the Department of Agriculture in Australia and published on both websites.

Alignment of treatment options. While the three treatment options, heat treatment, methyl bromide fumigation and sulfuryl fluoride fumigation, remain the same, it is important to note that some treatment application rates have changed.

Note also that the list of targeted list of countries having BMSBs has increased for both countries to 33 countries now.

Australian Brown marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSBs) requirements

BMSBs pose a high biosecurity risk to Australia. This is an invasive pest, native to Asia, and is highly capable of hitchhiking, highly mobile in nature and lack of effective lures. They can severely impact the Australian agricultural industries as well as a nuisance pest to homes, vehicles and factories, seeking shelter in these areas over the winter. They are more frequently found on goods arriving in Australia between September and April, coinciding with the late autumn and winter seasons in the northern hemisphere.

Due to the high risks posed by BMSBs, the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) has introduced seasonal measures to manage these risks. For the 2019-20 BMSB risk season, heightened biosecurity measures will apply to:

from 1 September 2019 and that arrive in Australian territory by 31 May 2020 (inclusive).These seasonal measures will apply between 1 September 2019 and 31 May 2020; both dates inclusive.

Goods shipped between 1 September and 30 April need to be treated, and will be referred for intervention if they arrive by 31 May 2020.

For goods that are shipped prior to 30 April and arrive after 31 May, they may be subject to intervention as required.

Vessels

Heightened surveillance will apply to all roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessels. When they berth at, load or tranship in target risk countries from 1 September 2019 and that arrive in Australian territory by 31 May 2020 (inclusive) will be required to:

conduct self-inspections and respond specific questions as part of the pre-arrival reporting requirements, and

undergo a mandatory seasonal pest inspection on arrival in Australia.

Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme

In response to detections and challenges in managing on board infestations during the 2018-19 season, a Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme (VSPS) will be introduced for the 2019-20 risk season as an alternative vessel clearance pathway for ro-ro vessels.

Only ro-ro vessels that are eligible for the ‘Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme’ and have detected no insects on board will be exempted from the mandatory seasonal pest inspection. Note that RoRo vessels will only be exempt from mandatory seasonal pest inspections when the can demonstrate that all cargo has:

Been treated by a BMSB approved method, or

Is covered by an approved safeguarding agreement, or

Complies with New, Unused and Not Field Tested criteria,
And

No insects have been detected on board.

DAWR will continue to perform inspections on vessels for other biosecurity reasons unrelated to BMSB. The nature of these inspections will vary based on the particular biosecurity risk being managed.

DAWR will work with selected shipping lines to trial the VSPS. For further information on the VSPS and 2019-20 BMSB seasonal measures for vessels visit the 2019-20 BMSB Vessels webpage.

Target risk countries

Any target high risk or target risk goods manufactured in, or shipped from these countries are subject to the BMSB seasonal measures. Any vessel that that berths at, load or tranships from these countries are also subject to BMSB seasonal measures:

Albania

Andorra

Armenia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Canada

Croatia

Czech Republic

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Italy

Kosovo

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Macedonia

Montenegro

Netherlands

Romania

Russia

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Switzerland

Spain

Turkey

United States of America

Japan (heightened vessel surveillance will be the only measure applied).

Target high risk or target risk goods

Some goods manufactured in, or shipped from the target risk countries as sea cargo have been identified as target high risk or target risk goods. To view the list as well as how these goods should be subject to BMSB treatments, please click on this DAWR link here.

Throughout the season, the measures based on detections of BMSB and the risk pathways would be continuously reviewed.

New Zealand BMSB requirements

On 22nd July 2019, revised standards for "Import Health Standard for Vehicles, Machinery and Parts" and "Import Health standard for Sea Containers from all Countries" were released by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

For BMST requirements in New Zealand, please to the Biosecurity New Zealand website managed by MPI. Also see ships arriving and hitchhiker pests. The new requirements apply with effect from 1 September 2019 to 30 April 2020.

Members operating ships to Australia, New Zealand and Chile are urged to familiarise themselves of the above BMSB requirements and compliance and for translation to get local agents to arrange accordingly.

Current Regulations

The Requirements contained in Exempt Resolution 4412/2013 were published in the Official Gazette on 12 August 2013 and entered into force on 12 February 2014. On 27 November 2015, SAG published Exempt Resolution No.8870/2015 to replace "North China" to "China" under the risk areas as shown below. The other amendment is item 6 of the regulation which is being replaced as follows:

" Every ocean going vessel that arrives in Chile from areas with AGM presence must provide SAG with a copy of the logbook or list of ports where the vessel has called during the last 24 months. This period can be shorter if it can be proved with the pertinent documents that the vessel has been sailing for less than 24 months or that the Owner of the vessel has changed.

The copy of this document must be provided by the vessel’s representative at least 24 hours prior to the call of the vessel at a Chilean port. "

The requirements will be applied to vessels that arrive from ports located in the North East and Far East Asia, between 60° and 20° North latitude and those that have docked or remained during the following female flight periods during the last 2 years, from the moment of the arrival of the vessel at a Chilean port.

Australian Brown marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSBs) requirements

BMSBs pose a high biosecurity risk to Australia. This is an invasive pest, native to Asia, and is highly capable of hitchhiking, highly mobile in nature and lack of effective lures. They can severely impact the Australian agricultural industries as well as a nuisance pest to homes, vehicles and factories, seeking shelter in these areas over the winter. They are more frequently found on goods arriving in Australia between September and April, coinciding with the late autumn and winter seasons in the northern hemisphere.

Due to the high risks posed by BMSBs, the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) has introduced seasonal measures to manage these risks. These seasonal measures will apply between 1 September 2018 and 30 April 2019; both dates inclusive.

Vessels

Heightened surveillance on all roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) and general cargo vessels through additional pre-arrival reporting with a BMSB questionnaire and daily checks conducted by vessel masters.

Target risk countries

Any target high risk or target risk goods manufactured in, or shipped from these countries are subject to the BMSB seasonal measures. Any vessel that tranships or loads goods from these countries are also subject to heightened vessel surveillance:

United States of America

Italy

Germany

France

Russia

Greece

Hungary

Romania

Georgia

Japan (heightened vessel surveillance will be the only measure applied).

Target high risk or target risk goods

Some goods manufactured in, or shipped from the target risk countries as sea cargo have been identified as target high risk or target risk goods. To view the list as well as how these goods should be subject to BMSB treatments, please click on this DAWR link here

Throughout the season, the measures based on detections of BMSB and the risk pathways would be continuously reviewed.

New Zealand BMSB requirements

For BMST requirements in New Zealand, please to the Biosecurity New Zealand website

The new season for BMSBs bugs has started in September and with that, a whole new string of measures has been implemented jointly by New Zealand and Australia to stem the tide of these bugs coming into their countries. For the 2019/2020 season, these measures include:

Introduction of a joint ‘Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme’. A list of approved treatment providers is jointly maintained by New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the Department of Agriculture in Australia and published on both websites.

Alignment of treatment options. While the three treatment options, heat treatment, methyl bromide fumigation and sulfuryl fluoride fumigation, remain the same, it is important to note that some treatment application rates have changed.

Due to the rapid spread of these BMSBs in Europe and North America, the list of countries targetted for having BMSBs has now grown to 33 countries for New Zealand and Australia.

BIMCO Recommendations

Members operating ships heading for Australia, New Zealand and Chile should ensure that the above BMSB seasonal measures are complied with in order to avoid ships being turned away from their territorial waters, notwithstanding that the responsibility of ensuring the cargo is ¨'clean' lies with the importers.